lovers of hiking and horseback riding trails gather to give feedback on new outdoor area
A representative of the federal Bureau of Land Management was in Amarillo Thursday evening, May 29 to ask locals for input into the use of designated the Cross Bar Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA) for its unique recreation opportunities, experience and settings. It is the only Bureau of Land Management (BLM) administered surface estate within the State of Texas and offers recreation, including horseback riding, mountain biking, hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, and wildlife viewing in a region with limited public recreation resources, according to information handed out at the event.
Many interested outdoors people gathered at the Amarillo Area Foundation to hear spokesman Patrick Rich, the planning and development coordinator for Cross Bar SRMA, explain the process and ask those in attendance to fill out a questionnaire so BLM could start to forge a plan for the unique, 9,000-plus acres of rugged prairie with surrounding canyons, to become a public area for men and women who love nature and the great outdoors. The beginning of the area lies just north of Amarillo.
What was the land used for?
Originally, the land was used by the Cherokee Indians to farm and live in, according to Rich. After that, ranchers used the land to raise and feed cattle. The land was then acquired by the U.S. government to produce and store helium, a precious commodity which provided gas for airships in the 1950s and became an important source of coolant during the Cold War and Space Race.
One of the largest and purest areas of the land is close to the Cliffside area, about 12 miles north of Amarillo, which is now Cross Bar Special Recreation Management. There is a natural geological gas storage formation, the Bush Dome reservoir, established by the enactment of the Helium Act of 1925, which once held over 1 billion cubic meters of helium gas, according to enviroliteracy.org.
The use of helium began to be phased out and in 2005, the Department of Interior was directed to sell off the reserve. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) transferred the reserve to the General Services Administration as surplus property.
What’s next for the land?
“Tonight, we’re going to have a public scoping meeting for the Recreation Area Management Plan. This is an implementation level plan for 9,900 acres of special recreation management area that was designed in March of 2020 as the Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas Resource Management plan. It a strategic plan for all the public lands and resources that exist in the three states,” Rich said.
“In that strategic plan, you say that we have 9,900 acres out here that the public wants to recreate on, so we need to work on getting permanent public access and then develop a recreation area. It is five years later, but we’ve been working during those five years to get permanent access from land owners. It’s your land and facilities, and we want your input,” he added.
As reported on the BLM website, for years no public access had been established to the Cross Bar area, which is land locked and surrounded on three sides by private land — bounded on the north by the Canadian River and the east by an aged Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) train trestle. The public has had to cross private land, then cross along the south bank of the Canadian River, and the pathway was not ADA compliant.
“We have an easement now and we’re working with the Federal Highway Commission to develop and build roads that folks can get into the Cross Bar permanently and safely,” Rich said. “As we move forward, we’ll go into design and then construction of the infrastructure, the camping areas.”
Rich noted that BLM has some trails out there in Cross Bar, and they plan to finish those trails and build some corrals for horses, as well as restrooms for guests along with water access and electricity. “We’ll turn it into what folks know as BLM improved recreation area,” he said.
Rich said BLM currently has to access the area from US 287. After the Cross Bar area was a cattle ranch, the BLM and federal government took the property and made it into a helium production point. “It now has been sold into private authority, so we’ve got a total of 11,833 (acres), 9,900 of which we’re going to turn into a recreation area,” he said.
Rich explained that the Cross Bar SRMA will contain restrooms, and corrals and trails for bike riding, horseback and riding. Motorized vehicles (currently including e-bikes) are prohibited on the trails, however. “People can go out and enjoy the Panhandle of Texas and the outdoors. There’s a lot of demand for it,” he said.
There will be areas for RVs and campers, also. Some hunting and fishing will be allowed in certain areas, according to Rich. The timeline is expected to be around five years, which includes working with the Federal Highway Commission for roads and local authorities to help push it through.
Audience provides feedback, suggestions
The audience at the meeting gave BLM many ideas and insights into the Cross Bar development. Mary Herring, a volunteer for Friends of Cross Bar SRMA, said she had been working hard at clearing trails for the horses. She and her friends are avid horseback riders and are looking for safe trails to take their horses on. The terrain is rocky and at times steep, and she gave advice on some of the trail construction, convincing Rich to take trail master classes, which explain the correct construction of trails that aren’t so easily eroded with rain and use.
One attendee asked if there would be accessible trails for wheelchairs and those with disabilities. Rich answered that certain areas or lookout points could be enjoyed for what he called “visual resources,” and the ADA will be involved with the planning and construction.
Another woman inquired about areas for stargazing and birding, a popular activity in this area. Rich agreed and encouraged her to file the suggestions. He said they were working with the Amarillo Astronomers Club to accommodate the stargazing group.
Visual resources include vegetation management and possibly the planting of more trees for shade and enjoyment. “A lot of Mesquite bushes were removed,” Rich said. “There were once beavers here as witnessed by their dams. There will also be a lot of attention to the native animals of the area and preserving their status.”
The winds will be something that will have to be dealt with in different ways. Some camping areas may be in the crevices of the canyons, and some will be close to the bottom. In addition, some cultural artifacts will be protected, according to the plan.
According to a 2019 Texas A&M study, the area could yield around $13 million in benefits, along with providing local citizens and visitors a chance to enjoy the rugged nature in the West Texas plains.
During the scoping period, which extends through Thursday, June 12, the public may submit comments through the project ePlanning website:
link